


Greenwater

by mixiz877



Category: Medium (TV), The X-Files
Genre: F/M, Hurt Fox Mulder, Hurt/Comfort, Visions, area 51
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-27
Updated: 2016-11-27
Packaged: 2018-09-02 16:42:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 8,442
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8674987
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mixiz877/pseuds/mixiz877
Summary: Mulder set off to meet with an informant - alone. Allison has visions about an FBI agent being in trouble. Can she convince Scully and Skinner to find Mulder?





	1. Chapter 1

Greenwater

Alison DuBois' Home

Thursday

4:13 pm

Two men were standing in a rocky desert at the edge of a cliff. The first one was tall, about 6ft, had short brown hair and was wearing a suit. He was holding a pair of binoculars at his eyes and looked into the distance. The other man was slightly shorter, blond hair tied into a ponytail, wearing an old pair of jeans and a t-shirt. They were talking about something that was obviously visible in the distance.

The shorter man then returned to their car, which was a couple of yards away, while his friend continued to survey the distance. When the latter put down the binoculars and turned around, the other man swung a baseball club at him. Hitting him on his upper torso with such tremendous force, the man stumbled and fell over the edge of the cliff, plummeting down the rocky slope about 200 yards.

His fall came to an end at a higher bolder and the view focused on the injured man who was lying on his back, dusty and beaten up. His face was covered in blood from several head wounds. He seemed to be unconscious. Next to him lay an ID that had fallen out of his suit when his fall ended so abruptly. As the view focused on the ID, one could make out it was an FBI ID, sporting the name of Fox Mulder.

With a start, Alison DuBois woke from her sleep. The dream she just had frightened her. Glanving at her alarm clock, she frowned. She'd had a hard day at work and when she arrived home at 3pm, she decided to take a quick nap. Her dream, or rather vision, had riled her up. Falling asleep again was out of the question.

Wondering what to do next, she got up and recapped her dream in her mind. Then, she purposefully picked up the phone and dialled the number of the directory assistance.

"Hi, this is Alison DuBois, I would like you to connect me with the FBI headquarters, please," she said.

"One moment, Ma'am!" the voice at the other end replied.

A few moments later a female voice let her know she reached the FBI switchboard. She asked for Fox Mulder but only got the information that he wasn't in and if she wanted to speak to his superior.

A short while later she heard another voice on the other end of the line. "Assistant Director Skinner, FBI, what can I do for you?"

"AD Skinner, my name is Alison DuBois", Alison repeated. "I work for the District Attorney's office in Phoenix. I heard you have an Agent working for you whose name is Fox Mulder."

"Indeed we have. One of our best. Now how can I help you? Do you need to speak with him?" Skinner replied.

Alison was quiet for a short moment. Then she continued. "I know this must sound strange to you, but I believe he's in trouble. He's somewhere in a desert, injured badly."

Now it was Skinner's turn to be quiet. "How do you know that?" he then queried.

"I'm having these dreams...," Alison started, but Skinner interrupted her.

"Dreams?" he gasped. "You're not telling me you just dreamt it, are you? Agent Mulder is having a couple of days of leave and so he isn't in the building. But the nearest desert is far from here."

"Look, Sir, you don't understand. My dreams are not ordinary dreams. More than nine out of ten times they turn real." Alison said with urgency in her voice.

Skinner paused a moment, thinking what to do next. He sighed. "Ok, leave me your number, I'll contact him and will inform you what I found out."

After a few moments of pondering A.D. Skinner dialled the number to Mulder's and Scully's home. Just two rings later someone picked up.

"Hello?" It was Agent Scully.

"It's Skinner here. I would like to speak to Agent Mulder. Is he available?" Skinner asked.

"Oh, I'm afraid you'd have to try his cell, Sir. He's been gone to follow a lead with his informant. I don't know where they are, but he just called me a few hours ago and everything is fine. Anything I can help you with?"

"Not really. I've just received a strange call, someone saying Mulder being in trouble, in a desert somewhere. But since you just talked to him it must be a hoax," Skinner informed her.

"That sounds strange indeed, Sir. I think I'll phone him later again and let him know about the call you received," Scully replied and they ended the call.

Skinner dialled Alison DuBois' number in a relieved state of mind. Something in her voice had almost made him believe her words.

"Mrs. DuBois, it's A.D. Skinner of the FBI," Skinner said when the phone was picked up.

"Did you hear anything of Mr. Mulder?" Alison asked.

"Well, I didn't speak to him personally, but his partner, Agent Scully, assured me he was fine. Looks like this is the one time your dreams were just dreams," Skinner informed her.

"Oh," Alison almost sounded disappointed. "I'm glad about that. I'm sorry for worrying you but I just had to be sure."

"Not a problem, Ma'am," Skinner said understandingly.

***XFM***

*Thirsty!*

That was the only thought he could form.

*Thirsty!*

He wanted to scream it out loud but his body felt like a mass of molten rock and pain. His lips were sticking together. His mouth felt like sand paper.

*Scully,* was the next thought he could form.

*Need Scully. Thirsty. Scully. Thirsty. Scully. Help.*


	2. Chapter 2

About 1000 miles south of DC

Thursday

5:57pm

He had returned to his car, but he hadn't left yet. He'd been trying to come down from his adrenaline rush when the phone on the passenger seat went off. It wasn't his phone. It was Mulder's. It WAS Mulder's, he thought with a grim smile.

The phone wouldn't stop ringing so in the end he decided to answer the call.

"Yeah?" he barked.

Silence. Then after a few second there was a female voice. "Who's that? This is Agent Mulder's phone, why isn't he answering it?" The woman sounded suspicious.

"Oh, Mulder's just stepped out. Want me to get him for you?" Wesley McNamara was nervous. But he tried not to let that nervousness in his voice.

"Actually tell him to call me back. Are you his informant?"

"Yeah, I guess that's me. I'll let him know."

"Thank you." Scully disconnected the line. She was relieved, but not completely at ease.

McNamara stared at the cell's display. *Scully*, he read. Scully had phoned. Who the heck was Scully? He searched his memory. It did sound familiar. Then his face brightened up with a smile. Mulder's FBI partner, that's who Scully was. He just never expected *Scully* to be a woman.

Suddenly a thought occurred to him. After some time, when Mulder didn't return her call, she'd get worried. The phone could be traced. He had to get rid of it. It was the only way someone could find out where to look for Fox Mulder. The best way to prevent that was to destroy the phone.

He got out of the car, stepped to the edge of the cliff again and threw the phone as far as he could. When it bounced on the rocks he could see it was shattering into thousands of pieces. Satisfied, Wesley returned to his car, started the engine and left.

Alison DuBois' home

Friday

4:52 am

Numbers flashed in her head. 160. 372. 127. 190. Then a road was visible, and a road sign which read: Greenwater. Then the dream of before kicked in. Only this time she could hear what was being said.

The two men were standing at the cliff again. "Here, take these binoculars," the blond man said handing them to the brown haired man – the one that must be Fox Mulder. The latter took it and settled his gaze in the pointed out direction.

"And what's that supposed to be?"

"Doesn't it look to you like the debris that could belong to a UFO?" the blond man asked in mock surprise, but the mockery in his voice was lost on the other man.

"And what exactly does look UFO-ish to you?" he asked.

"Hold on, I'll get my other bin's from the car and then I can guide you." He ran off to the car.

The other man – Mulder – was still scanning the surroundings. Steps could be heard behind him. He put down his bin's and started to turn around.

All he saw in a blur was something being swung at him and connecting his torso with such force that he stumbled and went over the edge, tumbling down the steep rocky hill. Then everything went black.

Alison awoke with a start. It was just about 5 a.m. She was confused. Why was she having these dreams? That man obviously existed and was in need of help. But was it something that already happened or that was to happen?

After a while Alison managed to get back to sleep.

She was looking down the slope, trying to make out the still figure that was laying some distance down, sprawled into the rocks. She was watching it for several minutes. "The fool", she thought. "Did he really think he could arrest my father and discredit him without having to pay the price?"

She went back to the other man's car, checking the glove box and boot. Somewhere a phone rang. On the passenger seat she saw it. For a split second she wondered if she should pick it up. It kept ringing and the name *Scully* appeared on the display. Finally she did answer it. "Yeah?" Silence. Then: "Who's that? This is Agent Mulder's phone, why isn't he answering it?"

Alison sat up in her bed as if stung by a scorpion. It couldn't be. That would mean it had already happened. Now the agent was somewhere in a desert, injured, and nobody was even looking for him.

She picked up the phone. It was almost 6 a.m. She dialled the number from which Skinner had phoned her back. After letting the phone ring for almost 2 minutes, she was about to hang up when finally someone picked up the phone.

"Skinner," she heard his voice at the other end.

"Mr. Skinner, it's me again, Alison DuBois," she started. "I had another dream... it was him she spoke to."

"Mrs. DuBois, I don't know what you're talking about," Skinner replied, confused.

"You remember I phoned you yesterday asking if you have an Agent called Fox Mulder?" she reminded him.

"Ah, yes. I do."

"Well, you told me his partner phoned him but a friend of his answered and told her he was okay."

"That's right," Skinner confirmed.

"She talked to the person who pushed Mulder off the cliff. Mulder is out there, badly injured. You need to find him."

Skinner was silent. He didn't know whether to believe what he heard or dismiss it. It sounded so unreal, somebody dreaming something that happened. But then Mulder was working on the x-files, and lots of things had happened that were somewhat unexplainable.

"But where do we have to look for him?" Skinner asked almost in desperation.

"You don't know where he went to?" Alison asked back.

"No, he didn't... wait, maybe he told his partner. I'll call you back."


	3. Chapter 3

6:22am

Skinner was thinking. Maybe first he should try to reach Mulder on the phone before he alarmed Scully. He dialled his number, but only got the same message. "The person you have called is momentarily unavailable". Mulder was never unavailable.

He dialled Scully's number.

"Scully," she answered, a little drowsy from the sleep still, because the phone call had woken her. Despite being worried whole night because Mulder hadn't returned her call she had fallen asleep at one point. Maybe his friend had forgotten to pass on to call her.

"Agent Scully, this is A.D. Skinner," Skinner identified himself.

"Has something happened?" Scully immediately sounded alarmed. Usually Skinner wouldn't have a reason to call her this early.

"I hope not," Skinner sighed. "When last did you hear of Agent Mulder?"

"Yesterday, as I told you already. I tried calling him a couple of hours later, but his informant answered. I asked him to tell Mulder to call me back but he didn't."

"Do you happen to know where Agent Mulder and his informant are?"

"No, I just know it's something to do with a UFO."

"Well," Skinner started. "I don't know if something really has happened, but as I told you yesterday I've had a call from a woman in Phoenix who claims she had a dream about Mulder being badly injured, in a desert. Now this morning she phoned again and she sounded really anxious. I've tried to reach Mulder, but his phone was unavailable."

"That's unusual," Scully mused. Her partner never switched off his phone.

"Could you come in so we can try figure out together where Mulder could be and how to reach him?" Skinner asked Scully.

"I'll be there in an hour."

6:31am

Scully picked up her cell phone and pressed number one on the speed dial. But instead of starting to hear the buzz of Mulder's phone ringing there was a voice, telling her that the person she's calling is momentarily unavailable.

*Damn,* she thought. *Mulder, what did you get yourself into again this time?*

She got up and dressed as quickly as possible, sipping a quick cup of coffee and grabbed her keys and coat to drive to the J. Edgar Hoover Building.

One hour later Scully entered Skinner's office. Skinner quickly dialled a number and put the phone on speaker. It was Mulder's number, but again the same message was being said by a computer generated voice. Skinner and Scully exchanged meaningful glances. Then Skinner dialled another number.

"Alison DuBois," a female voice was heard over the speaker.

"Mrs. DuBois, it's A.D. Skinner again. We've been trying to reach Agent Mulder for the last hour but unsuccessfully. That's very unlike him so I've called his partner, Agent Scully, in for assistance. Is there maybe anything else that you remember from the dream that could help us identifying the location Agent Mulder might be at now?"

"Well, I remember certain numbers and a place name before I saw what happened," Alison replied.

"The location name was Greenwater, and the next scene was in a desert."

"Greenwater?" Scully repeated. "I've heard that before." She started roaming her brain for the explanation.

"Could the numbers be road numbers?" Skinner mused.

"Possibly," Alison said. "At least they came in connection with the road sign."

Scully was still pacing up and down, her brain working incessantly. "Greenwater, Greenwater...," she kept mumbling to herself. Then with a start her head jerked up and she ran towards the map on the wall of Skinner's office.

Skinner followed her to find out what she was looking for. Scully's finger ran ferociously over the map. Skinner made out she was checking Nevada... wasn't that where Area 51 was located?

Indeed Scully was scanning Area 51. After all it was located in a desert. Suddenly she tapped her finger on a certain spot on the map. Skinner took a closer look. "Greenwater", it read where Scully had just pointed to.

"How did you know where to look?" Skinner marvelled.

"UFO, desert... Mulder. Doesn't that sound like Area 51? And Greenwater I'd heard him mention a couple of days ago, but he didn't explain to me what it was about." Scully explained.

Skinner went back to the phone. "Mrs. DuBois?" he called.

"Yes I'm still there. Did you find something?"

"Apparently there is a place near Area 51 in Nevada that is called Greenwater and it is located in a desert. Could you give me the numbers you dreamed again so I can find out if there is a connection there? And another thing. Did in you dream at any point there was a mention about a UFO?" Skinner inquired.

"Indeed there was. It seemed like that other man tried showing Agent Mulder the remains of one," Alison explained.


	4. Chapter 4

Death Valley, Nevada

Friday

2:41pm

A car arrived at the parking lot which was labelled "Greenwater – viewing point". The path further into the desert was only to be accessed by foot, exceptions were service vehicles. The entrance was blocked by a barrier where a narrow footpath for one person at a time led past.

There was only one other car parked there with nobody sitting in it. Agent Scully went up to it and looked in. It was a rental car with no obvious hints about who had been driving it. The lot showed loads of tracks leading in and out. Also recent tracks from the foot trail.

A.D. Skinner joined Agent Scully by the car. Both of them walked around it. Alison DuBois, who Skinner and Scully had picked up an hour earlier by the Las Vegas airport, was standing by their car still. For a chance, Skinner tried one of the doors. To his surprise it opened. He looked at Scully who returned his look.

Scully opened the driver's door and climbed in the car, looking around and under the seats. Then she reached underneath it. When she retreated her hand she held a key. A key marked by a tag of a rental car firm. It fitted into the lock.

"I felt something else there," Scully said. She reached down again and this time she held a couple of sunflower seed shells in her hand.

The look she gave Skinner this time was alarmed. Of course Mulder wasn't the only person who ate sunflower seeds, but slowly everything Alison had said began to fall into place.

Alison was still standing by Skinner's car, staring at the foot trail. There was a man standing there who she recognised as the man of her visions: Mulder. He had his face covered in blood. His suit was dusty, torn and also sporting bloody stains. He was saying something, pointing down the trail. "Help!" Alison heard him say.

"Mrs. DuBois?" Skinner called her. Alison looked in his direction, seeing both agents coming towards her. When she returned her look back to where she had just seen Agent Mulder, he was gone.

"We have reason to believe this rental car is the one that Mulder rented," Scully informed Alison when they had reached her. "We found..." Scully started to continue but Alison interrupted her.

"He's here, he went down that path." She pointed at the trail. "We'll need water and bandages," she continued and without anything else Alison began to walk towards the path.

"Wait up," Skinner called. "What do you mean?"

"Sir, we don't have much time. He's been here for over 24 hours, injured, in the heat and without water," Alison called back, not stopping.

Scully just ran to their car, got the little medical bag and a bottle of water.

"She's right, Sir. If he's really here, which I strongly believe now, he needs help now rather than in half an hour." With that she followed Alison. Skinner sighed and went after them.

Five minutes into the path Alison stopped.

"What's it?" Scully demanded.

Alison shook her head and held out her hand, staring in the distance. She saw Mulder standing in front of her, this time pointing to his right, down the steep ravine.

"There must be a path which leads down into the valley," Alison explained. "He's somewhere down there."

"Down there?" Scully and Skinner gasped.

Scully went to the edge, swallowing hard. It was a steep and rocky slope down the ravine. As far as Scully's eyes could see there was nothing visible that stated Mulder could be down there. But she saw something else, a small path that was winding its way down the ravine.

"There's the path," she said and went ahead. She was glad she had put her sneakers on. They gave her better traction on the steep, loose ground. Slowly they made their way down the hill. They had to be very careful not to slip and fall. Scully, who was still leading the group, suddenly stopped and picked up something. It was the remains of a cell phone. She turned around.

"Sir?" She showed Skinner the phone. "Mulder has one of these."

The expression in her eyes began to change from alarmed to alarmed, worried and scared. Skinner also started to worry now.

Alison took the chance to get ahead of Scully. She walked a couple of steps, then stopped again. About fifty yards from her she saw Mulder leaning onto a big rock. Alison turned to look at Scully and Skinner. The she looked back at the rock, but Mulder was gone again.

"We have to check out that boulder over there," she cried.

It took them three minutes to get there. The rock was almost eight yards wide and four yards high. Scully bent down to examine something by her feet. The sand was discolored but dry.

"What's it, Agent Scully?" Skinner asked her.

"This sand looks like there could have been blood on it, but it's dry as a bone." Something caught here eye that made her interrupt herself.

Between the gravel there was a reflection in the sunlight. She bent down and picked out something from under a pineapple sized rock. She froze.

"What did you find, Agent Scully?" Skinner wanted to know, worry in his voice after seeing her reaction. Slowly, Scully got up and turned around. In her had she held an ID, Mulder's FBI ID. It was bloodstained. Alison reacted first. While Scully and Skinner were still in shock she went around the rock.

"He's here!" she called out, kneeling by the still form.

Apparently he had managed to pull himself up and on the other side of the rock where it was somewhat shady. Scully awoke from her frozen state and also went around the rock.

"Mulder," she exclaimed, also kneeling by his side. Now her doctor instincts came through. She felt his neck, feeling for his pulse. She let out a sigh of relief when she found it, but almost immediately her face changed into a frown. His pulse was rapid but very irregular.

"Oh Mulder, what have you stumbled in now again?" She looked at him. The right side of his face was almost completely covered in dried blood from several cuts on his head. His lips were dry, his eyes closed.


	5. Chapter 5

He felt a soft, hot gush of air caress his face. He wanted to swallow but he couldn't. His throat was too dry. He was too tired. He wanted to open his eyes, but they lay in their sockets like molten lead.

Dry.

Hot.

A noise reached his ear, like a melody. It sounded so wonderful. Slowly he could identify the noise, shut out the pain from his body to hear the noise.

"Scully," he thought. It was Scully. Scully's voice. "She's here," Mulder thought. "Scully, I'm here. Don't leave me."

Scully grabbed her water bottle, took out a tissue and wet it. Then she squeezed the water out of it onto his lips. She put her hand to his forehead. She'd been in the desert for about forty-five minutes and she was already sweaty and thirsty.

Mulder's head was almost as hot as the sand itself. Scully took another tissue, wet it and put it on his forehead.

"Keep fighting, Mulder. If you give up now, I'll never forgive you."

Meanwhile Skinner made a call for a Rescue Helicopter to transport Mulder to a hospital.

Scully gave Alison a wet tissue and asked her to clean his face from the dust and blood. She herself took off his jacket, tie and shirt, to check his torso and arms for other injuries.

She bandaged a deep wound on his left arm. She was afraid it could be broken but the swelling from the wound was so profound that she couldn't determine it without an x-ray.

She glanced at Alison who was still busy cleaning Mulder's face. To Scully's liking she did it much too slow and too caring. She didn't know why, but somewhere insider herself she felt envious.

"Don't be ridiculous, Dana," she thought. But she couldn't shake of the feeling of jealousy.

Maybe it was due to the fact that it was Alison who Mulder had contacted in her dreams, not herself. Not like she really believed in these type of connections. But after all she herself had had one such experience. Back when her father had died. Mulder had been injured then as well. Luther Lee Boggs had been sitting opposite her in his cell, but all she had seen was Mulder. And her father. So why didn't it happen this time?

He had some purple stains on his ribcage, back and front and some smaller cuts that had also been bleeding. What worried her was that his abdomen was hard.

"Please don't let there be internal bleeding," Scully murmured to herself.

But deep insider her she knew that he must have some sort of internal injury. She hoped the helicopter would arrive soon.

Now, with Skinner's help she stripped Mulder of his pants to examine the legs. It was a similar picture. Bruises and minor cuts, but the left knee was badly swollen.

When she was done wrapping up his wounds she joined Alison who by now was trying to get some water between his lips and make him swallow. Scully took over from a startled Alison, then bandaged the cuts on Mulder's forehead, which had begun to bleed again, however slightly. She knew her jealousy was ridiculous but she couldn't help herself.

Alison's startled stare made Scully sigh. "Sorry," she murmured apologetically.

When Scully was sure she had done everything for him she could at the moment she settled herself on the ground leaning her back on the rock. Alison sat next to her while Skinner was on the phone again.

"You worry about him, right?" Alison asked looking straight at Scully.

Scully nodded. "He's my everything. I'm sorry if my behaviour led you to believe that I don't trust you."

"That's quite alright," Alison smiled. "I know the strange feeling of jealousy even if my husband doesn't do anything to evoke it."

Surprised Scully looked up. Was she that predictable? Alison put her hand on Scully's shoulder simply smiling her reassurance. And miraculously Scully managed an answering smile. If she ever told Mulder about this he'd never let her forget.

Scully had a sip of water, then offered the bottle to Alison who gladly accepted. Skinner joined them.

"The helicopter will be here in five minutes. I'm having a team being brought in to investigate Mulder's rental car and whatever traces there might be found here. How's he doing?"

"He's severely dehydrated, seems to have a concussion. Hopefully no fracture to the skull. Bruised ribs, possibly a broken arm, trauma to the abdomen, bruised legs and a swollen knee." Scully paused. "He's running a fever which in correlation with the heat is draining his body of fluids. The loss of blood doesn't really help here. They'll need to put him on and IV drip before they put him on the helicopter."

She turned to Alison. "Thank you," she simply said, but these two words expressed everything that Dana Scully had on her mind.

Alison nodded. "I'm just glad I could help," she replied with a small pleasant smile.

Suddenly an eerie feeling overcame Alison and forced her to turn around and look up the ravine. She squinted her eyes but all she could make out was a tiny dot back where the parking lot must be. The hairs on her neck raised up and for a split second in her mind's eye she saw the blond man from her dreams looking down at them.

"He's here," she whispered.


	6. Chapter 6

4:17pm

McNamara was glad he'd seen the car driving up to the parking lot by accident. He'd been about to leave the area and drove past the junction when he noticed the car taking a turn up to the parking lot. At this time of year there were very few visitors and he'd been curious about what they'd want up there.

He had followed them at a save distance, using his binoculars to keep track of them while they were first searching Mulder's rental and then climbing down the ravine where Mulder had fallen down after his push. He was not happy when he saw that they actually found the agent.

Something had to be done. Still observing the scene McNamara almost did a double take when he zoomed in on the blond woman just to find her starting right back at her, as if she knew he was there.

Getting up and running back to his car to fetch his gun he heard a faint rumbling in the distance. Stopping he looked up to search the sky for the source. After a few moments his eyes locked on a small dot in the sky which rapidly got bigger. A helicopter.

Damn. He just HAD to eliminate Mulder. Apparently he was not dead yet and they'd radioed for help. If he got on the helicopter there was no way he'd be able to finish the job. Determined he opened the car door and snatched his weapon before running back to the edge of the ravine.

4: 29pm

"Alison?"

Dana Scully was looking at the other woman who was staring intently up the hill. What had she said? *He's here*?

Alison turned to her and repeated. "He's here."

"Who's here? Where?"

"The man who pushed your partner down the ravine, he's up there, watching us."

Scully looked up but couldn't see anything but the helicopter which was coming closer and closer. Skinner went a couple of steps into the desert and kept waving his arms. The helicopter landed about 15 yards from him.

Scully gave the paramedics a short report on Mulder's condition. They adjusted an IV drip to get fluids into his body.

She stepped aside for a moment and gave Skinner a sign to follow her. They walked a few yards so they wouldn't have to shout to be heard through the helicopter noise.

"Alison told me the guy who pushed Mulder is up there. Now I'm torn… I don't know if I must make sure Mulder gets to a hospital safely or to check out if she's right."

"Up there?" Skinner asked and just like Scully before he scoped out the outline of the edge of the ravine.

"Yes." Scully nodded.

"Tell you what. You and Alison take a ride in the chopper with Mulder and I'll climb back up to the car and check the area. If somebody is there I'll try to find out who it is. If not, I'll just follow you to the hospital by car. There's only one hospital close by, a military hospital. It's about 20 miles from here. They'll take Mulder there and I'll meet you there then. Deal?"

Scully pondered a moment and then nodded. Together they walked back to the chopper where the paramedics were telling Alison they had to go now.

Scully quickly asked them to wait another minute and went over to Alison who was still looking up the ravine. When she heard Scully approach she turned to face her.

"He's got a gun," she simply said.

"A gun?" Scully repeated. When Alison nodded she turned to call Skinner. "He's got a gun."

"I'll be careful. I got mine, too."

"Sir, are you sure you…"

Skinner interrupted her. "Yes. Now get in there so Mulder can get some treatment."

Seeing that Scully was still hesitating he threatened. "I'll make it an order if I have to, Agent Scully."

Scully smiled and then turned to climb into the chopper.

"You, too," Skinner said to Alison.

"Be careful," she said and joined Scully.

Skinner stood there for a moment and watched the helicopter disappear into the sky. Then he took out his phone to call in a forensics team and started climbing up the path again.

It took him a while longer than the descent had taken. As soon as he reached the top he paused and took his gun out. Slowly he followed the path to the parking lot, paying attention to every noise and movement he noticed.

4:56pm

Wesley McNamara watched the whole scene unfold below him. He saw how they carried Mulder into the chopper, how the redhead and the bald guy talked and then how the two women got into the chopper before it took off.

There was nothing he could do, because his gun didn't reach as far as the chopper and even if he ran towards the scene they'd be long gone when he got there.

Watching the chopper leave he was wondering where they'd take Mulder. His only chance to kill the man now was to get him in hospital. Searching his brain he came up with only one hospital close by. He'd have to take his chance there. If they didn't bring him there, he'd have to come up with a new plan.

Glancing through his binoculars one more time he saw Baldy climbing up the path. *Time to go, Wes*, he thought to himself and returned to his car.

5:16pm

Skinner had carefully returned to Mulder's rental. So far he'd seen nothing suspicious. Maybe Alison had been wrong about the perp being here. Searching the parking area again without success he checked his watch and decided to wait for the forensics team to arrive.

He didn't have to wait long. Soon in the distance of the dusty street he saw a group of four cars coming up for the lot.

Skinner approached one of the vehicles and identified himself. Then he gave the man in charge all the information he had, pointed out the spot where they had found Mulder and handed the man the keys to Mulder's car.

Knowing there was nothing he could do to help the men with their work he decided to get going and join Scully and Alison DuBois at the hospital.


	7. Chapter 7

Military Hospital

Friday

5:57pm

Scully was sitting in the hall, head in hands, waiting. Alison DuBois was sitting next to her, watching the agent intently.

Footsteps in the hallway approached the two women and when Alison looked up she recognised A.D. Skinner.

"Any news?" Skinner asked her as he sat down next to his agent. Scully looked up and sighed.

"He's having a CT for brain damage at the moment. They managed to improve his dehydrated state, his left arm is broken and set, but no cast yet since the swelling is too big. The knee is just bruised. Three cracked ribs and a laceration of his colon, which they already operated. No skull fracture but a bad concussion. Until they can set his arm in a cast they'll keep him somewhat sedated. No," she added seeing Skinner's questioning look. "He'll be conscious, but just barely. Unless they find in the CT that his brain is injured and bringing up a swelling which would give too much pressure on the skull when he's lucid. In that case he'll be heavily sedated." Scully's voice sounded somewhat tired.

"Are you okay, Agent Scully?" Skinner asked a little concerned.

"I'm fine, just tired, relieved, concerned and at a loss of explanation. I'd really like to know who did this to Mulder and WHY," she replied.

"The only thing I know is that they found two sets of fingerprints on the car and three on Mulder's phone. Mulder's were of course on each and yours on his phone. The remaining prints were identical but from an unknown person."

"Hm," Scully mused. "Maybe Mulder can help us when he's awake."

"That's our best chance," Skinner replied.

A group of doctors came around the corner and headed towards the group. Scully stood to greet them.

"Agent Scully?" the one doctor asked.

"Yes, and this is my boss, A. D. Skinner," Scully introduced her companion. The doctor nodded.

"My name's Dr. Sheppard. We just got the results on Agent Mulder's CT. I heard that you're a doctor yourself. Would you like to have a look at it?" he offered.

"I'd appreciate it, thank you," Scully replied and followed them to the examination room.

Luckily it turned out that there was no swelling on the brain.

Scully found Skinner and Alison again and told them the good news. Then the three went to the room where Mulder had been brought.

The nurse was still busy putting a new IV on Mulder, who, to Scully, looked way better than when they found him.

"We're reducing his sedatives slowly so he might come around in the next fifteen minutes. If he does, please let us know," the nurse asked Scully.

"Sure will," Scully agreed.

Mulder's left arm was strapped up in a half cast and bandaged to prevent his broken limb from moving. A solid but flexible way of immobilising a limb.

"Would you care for some coffee?" Skinner asked the women. "I'm going to get myself one in the lounge."

"That would be great," Scully replied thankfully and Alison also nodded her thanks.

Scully pulled up a chair to Mulder's bed when Skinner left. She sat down, her hand touching on his uninjured right hand. He felt way cooler to the touch and also his lips looked like they were grateful for the moisture from the IV.

"Mulder, who did that to you?" Scully murmured. "Who left you there to die? And how did you manage to get Allison DuBois to the rescue?" Mulder didn't reply.

"Agent Scully?" Alison started. Scully looked at her. "I'm going to wait outside. I've got a weird feeling right now and I want to see if I can find something that will explain it."

"And what do you mean with *weird feeling*?"

Alison shrugged. "I don't know how to explain it. But there was a cold wind going down my spine and the hairs in my neck… well, my personal alarm."

Scully nodded and watched Alison leave the room. Then she turned her attention back to Mulder. She decided to check out his other injuries and pulled off the blanket. His chest was strapped up to support his ribs. His stomach was sporting a sticky plaster to protect the stitches from the operation.

Scully wanted to pull his covers further down to check his knee but caught herself, because it was to be expected that they didn't put any briefs on him. So she covered him up again and just removed the blanket at his legs. The knee was also strapped up heavily. The smaller wounds looked fine and the bruises were starting to turn yellow.

Dana Scully sat back in her chair just when A.D. Skinner returned with the coffee.

"I also brought you a sandwich, ham and cheese," he said.

"That was very thoughtful of you, Sir. Thank you." Scully sipped her coffee and took a bite of the sandwich.

"Where's Mrs. DuBois?" Skinner asked.

"She went outside to investigate a *weird feeling*," Scully explained.


	8. Chapter 8

6:22pm

Wesley McNamara had finally found out that they had indeed brought Fox Mulder to this very hospital. With a bit of trickery he had even managed to get the information he needed to find the room they'd put him in.

When he exited the lift he looked around to find out which way to go next. Having found the right direction he put his hand under his jacket on his gun. He didn't pull it yet, but he thought it felt reassuring. Slowly he walked down the hallway towards Mulder's room.

Coming around the last corner he froze. Mere five feet away from him stood the blonde woman he'd seen when he had looked through his binoculars.

Alison DuBois had also frozen when she saw the man in her dream standing right in front of her. Making up his mind quickly he closed the distance between them and grabbed her arm.

Angrily Alison tried to get free but the feel of the gun to her back made her stop struggling.

"Thank you," the man whispered hoarsely in her ear. Having been close to panicking when he saw the woman he was quite relaxed how. Having a hostage could come in handy.

"Walk," he instructed her.

6:28pm

Dana Scully felt a lot better after she'd eaten the sandwich. In times like these she hardly noticed hunger and yet she knew that she had to keep her strength to be able to help.

Scully was sitting in a chair next to Mulder's bed, watching him. She felt a little exhausted but she knew she wouldn't be able to rest. At least she thought she wouldn't be. Skinner was standing by the window leaning onto the sill and watching his two agents.

Only five minutes later her eyes closed as she was starting to doze and she woke up with a start when she heard a noise from Mulder's bed. He'd been stirring and when she took his hand into hers he opened his eyes, slowly.

"Hi," she smiled at him. He tried to say something but his throat was refusing to utter a sound. Scully saw what he tried and stopped him.

"Don't try speaking yet, Mulder. You're still dehydrated and your throat will be hurting. Just nod at my questions, ok?"

He nodded.

"Do you know what happened?"

He nodded again.

"Good. Well, we got you into hospital. They put in IV on you to get moisture into your body. You were about 24 hours in the desert before we found you so you were pretty much dehydrated. Your arm is broken as are some of your ribs. They had to perform surgery on your colon which was lacerated but it's fine now. Your knee is only badly bruised and you have a concussion."

I can feel all of that, Mulder thought to himself. There was something he was wondering. Since he hadn't left any information on where he went he was at a complete loss as to how they had managed to find him at all.

It was almost as if Scully could read his mind. She smiled at him.

"You're probably wondering how we managed to find you."

Mulder nodded.

"Well, that's a long story. Somehow you managed to contact a medium and with her help we found you. I'll tell you the full story when you're stronger, but for now I think you need to rest. I'll have to inform the doctor that you're awake."

She moved to get up from her chair but he grabbed her wrist with his good hand. She looked at him. His eyes were full of expressions, pain, tiredness, confusion, but she could see how grateful he was.

"Thank you," he mouthed, not being able yet to utter audible words. His throat was still feeling too dry. She smiled at him warmly.

"I'll be right back, Mulder."

As she was about to open the door it almost knocked her in the face. Somebody from outside had opened it and pushed in a scared looking Alison DuBois.

Taking in the situation Skinner reacted first. He straightened up and his hand went to his gun when he saw that the man behind Alison had his own gun pressed in her back.

"You," the man shouted to Skinner, "keep your hands where I can see them and you," he looked at Scully, "join Baldy."

Putting her hands up to reassure the man Scully obeyed and slowly walked over to Skinner trying desperately to come up with an idea how to get out of this.

As soon as Scully was standing next to Skinner the man shoved Alison in the back and aimed his gun at Mulder, finger twitching on the trigger.

The shot rang out and Alison felt a hand shaking her shoulder.

"Ma'am? Are you okay?"

Shaking her head to clear it Alison became aware of her surroundings. She was still standing in the hallway. There was a nurse standing next to her, her eyes concerned. Apparently she had zoned out while having the premonition.

"I… I'm fine, thank you," she managed to smile reassuringly at the nurse. "Just a headache. It'll pass."

The nurse nodded and moved on. Alison tried to make sense of her vision and jumped when she heard the elevator bell ring.

Turning on her heels she practically ran back to the room and stormed in. Skinner and Scully regarded her wide-eyed. Even Mulder's eyes were on her.

"He's here, he's got a gun. He'll be coming in here any second," Alison panted. She just hoped they would believe her. There just wasn't time to explain.

To her surprise both agents immediately drew their weapons, and not one second too soon.

With a crash the door opened and a wild eyed man stormed in. Seeing Skinner with a gun drawn he took cover behind Alison. Scully was hidden from his view behind the door. Shoving Alison towards Skinner he turned to pull his gun on Mulder who was trying desperately to get out of the line of fire.

McNamara's shot rang out a split second after Scully had discharged her weapon. Her bullet entered his head at the same moment his shot rang out.

The impact caused his gun arm to move a fraction and his bullet entered the pillow two inches right of Mulder's head.

6:34pm

It was as if time stood still. Mulder was frozen in his hospital bed, Scully was still standing with the smoking gun in her hand. Alison was on the floor trying to pick herself up and Skinner still had his gun drawn and aimed at the place where McNamara's head had been mere seconds before.

The same nurse that had asked Alison if she was okay came running into the room at the sound of the gunshots. In her wake three other nurses and a doctor.

Taking in the scene in front of him Dr. Sheppard gasped. "What the HECK happened here?" he demanded.

That seemed to break the spell. Scully rushed to Mulder's side while Alison got to her feet and Skinner relaxed and put the gun away.

"This man," Skinner nodded at the body on the floor, "tried to kill your patient. If it hadn't been for Agent Scully he would probably have been successful."

Dr. Sheppard was kneeling by the downed man, feeling for a pulse. Then he stood up again and went over to Mulder. Scully was sitting next to him, holding his hand in hers and talking reassuringly to him. Mulder himself was breathing heavily, obviously shaken by the close call.

"You're alright, Mulder, it's over," Scully whispered over and over again in his ear.


	9. Epilogue

5 days later

Skinner knocked and entered Mulder's hospital room. Mulder was sitting on the bed, fully dressed, packed bag next to the bed on the floor. He was dangling his legs like a small boy but almost looked disappointed when he realised it wasn't Scully that had entered.

"Mulder," Skinner nodded, a gesture that Mulder returned. "How are you feeling?"

"Ready to spring this joint," Mulder quipped. "Just waiting for Scully. She was dropping off the release papers but insisted I wait here." He sounded slightly incredulous as if he had no clue as to why she made him stay.

He looked a lot better than five days ago, when they had found him severely dehydrated in the Nevada desert.

"I've got some news, Mulder. A bit of light into the question why Mr. McNamara tried to kill you. Not definite proof," he added when Mulder's eyes grew as big as saucers, "just a possibility."

Mulder sat up straight, eagerly awaiting Skinner's news, but before Skinner could say anything Scully entered the room.

"You ready to leave, Mulder?" she called and then noticed Skinner. "Oh, hello Sir. How are you?"

"I was just about to tell Agent Mulder what I found out about Mr. McNamara," Skinner started for a second time. "It was more difficult than I thought it would be, because wherever I ran his name there was no record whatsoever that was any help. Only when I started looking into his family background I got lucky. Looks like he grew up with his mother, never knew who his father was until he died about two years ago. His mother had always refused to tell him about his father up until his death."

"Who's the father, Sir?" Scully asked.

Mulder's mouth felt too dry to speak at all. Skinner stared at Mulder intently. Then he cleared his throat getting ready to speak.

"Monty Propps."

These two words were followed by a ghostly silence. Mulder's mouth opened, but no sounds came out of it. Scully almost dropped her handbag. After a long minute of silence Mulder, who had been reminiscing about his very first profiling case that earned him a dubious reputation, found his voice again.

"Guess I know why his mother never told him."

Skinner shrugged. "Apparently he wanted to learn all about his father, got obsessed with him, even sort of worshipped him. Looks like he wanted to take revenge because he figured if you hadn't caught his father he'd have grown up knowing him. At least that's what his mother told me he said."

"You talked to his mother?" Scully queried.

Skinner nodded. "She was devastated by the news about the death of her son but also by what he had done. She said she thought he was just talk, that he had more of herself than his father. She asked me to tell you she's sorry, Mulder."

Mulder shrugged. "Don't see how it's her fault but if you speak to her again, tell her it's okay. I'm alive, that's all that counts." He looked at Scully and smiled at her.

Scully jointed in on the smile, went over to him and kissed him on the lips. "Yes, you're alive… and well. Ready to go?" She held out her hand to him.

He took it and rewarded her with a big smile that melted her heart, grabbed his bag and got up. "You bet I am."

Hand in hand they left the hospital room, a grinning Skinner following in their wake.

**Author's Note:**

> As usual, the characters are not mine, they belong to Chris Carter and the 1013 productions and to the creators of medium. I'm merely using them for writing my story. All characters not known from the shows are mine.


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